1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to food processing devices, and more specifically to a Fruit Pitter.
2. Description of Related Art
Many fruits have a stone or a pit that requires removal prior to consumption. For example, cherries, while having a delightful flavor and texture that make them well suited for raw consumption or use in prepared dishes and baked goods, have a small hard pit or stone that must be removed prior to use. Other foods, such as olives, for example, have a similar hard stone or pit that must be removed prior to use.
There are various ways to remove the pit or stone, including merely eating the food and expelling the pit while chewing the food. While this technique may be effective, it is not a particularly attractive technique, especially in more formal settings. In addition, many foods, cherries included, can be used in prepared dishes, salads, as toppings, in baked goods, and the like. In such applications, it is oftentimes desirable to not only remove the pit or stone but also to retain the basic shape of the food once the pit or stone is removed, keeping the food item basically intact. While devices for removing a pit or stone from a food item such as a fruit are known, many of these devices have shortcomings including the way in which the pit is removed, the way in which the food retains its basic shape after pit removal, the mechanism of the device, the overall shape and ease of storage of the device, and the like.
What is needed is an improved Fruit Pitter that overcomes many of these shortcomings.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a Fruit Pitter that retains the basic shape of the food after the pit has been removed. It is another object of the present invention to provide a Fruit Pitter with an improved mechanism. It is another object of the present invention to provide a Fruit Pitter with an improved and easy to store shape. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a Fruit Pitter with an improved way to retain a fruit and remove the associated pit.
These and other objects of the present invention are not to be considered comprehensive or exhaustive, but rather, exemplary of objects that may be ascertained after reading this specification and claims with the accompanying drawings.